Mattewis Persen House

About this museum

On a corner where four stone buildings have stood for centuries, the Mattewis Persen House opens a door into the earliest days of colonial Kingston, New York. Dating to 1661 in its oldest sections, this free historic house museum is one of the most authentic things to do in Kingston for anyone drawn to the Hudson Valley's deep roots.Located at 74 John Street in Kingston's historic Stockade District, the Persen House has been continuously adapted over the course of more than three hundred and fifty years, with different owners adding and altering rooms across generations. Today, carefully maintained period - appropriate furnishings and artifacts fill the interior, each space revealing a distinct chapter of the building's long life. Visitors can trace architectural changes from the Dutch colonial era through the Revolutionary period and beyond, gaining an unusually tangible sense of how daily life evolved in one of America's earliest settlements.The museum is open Thursday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Parking is available nearby in downtown Kingston. The intimate scale of the house means a visit typically takes thirty to forty - five minutes, though conversations with knowledgeable staff can easily extend that time.Rated an impressive 4.9 out of 5, the Mattewis Persen House wins visitors over with its authenticity, its knowledgeable guides, and the rare experience of standing inside one of the oldest surviving structures in the region. Reviewers highlight the surrounding Stockade District as equally worth exploring, with stone buildings and historical markers adding context at every turn.For travelers compiling a list of free museums in Kingston or free things to do in the Hudson Valley, the Mattewis Persen House offers an intimate encounter with colonial American history that larger institutions simply cannot replicate.